I recently shipped off a very neat pair of mid century lamps to California, and I just received a message stating that one of the lamps arrived in pieces. I was confident that I added shipping to this pair of lamps because they were fairly fragile. Well it turns out that I didn’t insure them so I am out $79.99.
I had to swallow a two big fat lesson pills today. The sad thing is I should know better.
Lesson #1 – Insure your items if they are fragile.
Even though I thought I insured the item, I should have double checked.
Lesson #2- Don’t skimp on packing material.
I didn’t skimp on the packing materials, but I am starting to get low so I need buy some more.
I have been very lucky with the customers who report broken items to me, and it probably has to do with my quick response and expedient refunds.
Here is a lesson for everyone else who is selling on ebay.
No matter how well you pack something things will always end up broken. It’s going to happen, so when it does happen, don’t get discouraged just respond quickly to the buyer, resolve the issue and move on.
Your next sale will help you forget about the broken item.
I have 14 items that need to get packed up. You can bet I will be paying extra attention to the insurance block.
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Showing posts with label ebay sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ebay sales. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Recent sales overview
Once again it's time to go over some recent sales of mine. Keep an eye out for these items.
Bronze cat statue
Paid: $5.00 Sold: $70.00 -Shipping.
Overview: I bought this cat because #1 it was brass / bronze and slightly abstract and #2 I knew I could find a cat lover that would enjoy it. The lesson to take away from this, put yourself in the buyers shoes whenever possible.
Herbert Herr black forest cuckoo clock
Paid: $12.00 Sold: $99.99 -Shipping.
Overview: I didn't eve know who Herbert Herr was until I found this clock, I knew cuckoo clocks can bring some big money, when I did research there were not too many clocks selling so I priced mine $30.00 higher than the highest clock that sold. Of course the day after I list this item it sell which means I priced it too low.
Syroco dove / pigeon wall plaques
Paid: $3.00 Sold: $50.00 -Shipping
Overview: They are Syroco and they are dover / pigeons so I knew they would sell pretty easy. They ended up selling in two days. I probably could have put them a little bit higher. Like I always say. If you find Syroco for cheap, pick it up.
Lucite grape bunches
Paid: $2.00 Sold: $39.99 -Shipping
Overview: Well this was my first test for these grape bunches. They sold the day after I listed them, which was interesting because the single bunches didn't seem to be selling that well. If I find any more of these I will be picking them up again.
Mid century owl salt and pepper shakers
Paid: $2.00 Sold:$12.49
Overview: So this isn't a huge profit, but I just want to point this out. There are owl lovers out there just like cat lovers. These sold within a few hours of me posting them. Vintage owls sell so keep your eyes out.
Gaming strategy guides
Paid: $.75 Sold: $10.00
Overview: So if you look at just this guide by itself its really not that big of a deal, but if you look at my completed listings you will notice that these guides are selling fairly consistently. They are easy to ship, and list so you can't really go wrong.
Well thats all for now, if you found this blog post helpful please click on the link below.
Bronze cat statue
Paid: $5.00 Sold: $70.00 -Shipping.
Overview: I bought this cat because #1 it was brass / bronze and slightly abstract and #2 I knew I could find a cat lover that would enjoy it. The lesson to take away from this, put yourself in the buyers shoes whenever possible.
Herbert Herr black forest cuckoo clock
Paid: $12.00 Sold: $99.99 -Shipping.
Overview: I didn't eve know who Herbert Herr was until I found this clock, I knew cuckoo clocks can bring some big money, when I did research there were not too many clocks selling so I priced mine $30.00 higher than the highest clock that sold. Of course the day after I list this item it sell which means I priced it too low.
Syroco dove / pigeon wall plaques
Paid: $3.00 Sold: $50.00 -Shipping
Overview: They are Syroco and they are dover / pigeons so I knew they would sell pretty easy. They ended up selling in two days. I probably could have put them a little bit higher. Like I always say. If you find Syroco for cheap, pick it up.
Lucite grape bunches
Paid: $2.00 Sold: $39.99 -Shipping
Overview: Well this was my first test for these grape bunches. They sold the day after I listed them, which was interesting because the single bunches didn't seem to be selling that well. If I find any more of these I will be picking them up again.
Mid century owl salt and pepper shakers
Paid: $2.00 Sold:$12.49
Overview: So this isn't a huge profit, but I just want to point this out. There are owl lovers out there just like cat lovers. These sold within a few hours of me posting them. Vintage owls sell so keep your eyes out.
Gaming strategy guides
Paid: $.75 Sold: $10.00
Overview: So if you look at just this guide by itself its really not that big of a deal, but if you look at my completed listings you will notice that these guides are selling fairly consistently. They are easy to ship, and list so you can't really go wrong.
Well thats all for now, if you found this blog post helpful please click on the link below.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
There are still treasures to be found, just like this one. + Recent sales
STAND This items was one of Olivia11dancer's recent sales. I thought I would highlight it as a motivator for getting out to those thrift stores, and garage sales to find these treasures.
Olivia11dancer purchased the item for 25 cents at a small rummage sale in Burnsville Minnesota. At the time she didn't even know what it was, but she knew she liked it. This item spent the next 15 years without being identified until a couple of weeks ago, when Olivia11dancer decided to do some research on the statue.
The buyer of this stand will be restoring it to its original condition. Hopefully they will send us some pictures when they are finished with it.
This sale gives me inspiration to get into the books, and do more research. I think if I had found this statue for 25 cents I would have snatched it up too.
Speaking of research I think its time to go over some more sales.
UTICA STAINLESS STEEL FLATWARE MADE IN THE USA
Paid: $2.99 Sold: 99.99
Why it sold: Stainless steel flatware that is made in the USA is very desirable. If you can find large lots, they sell very nicely. I highly recommend you check out the flatware bins when you are at the thrift stores. Pick up different forks, and feel the weights and the quality, then you will begin to understand why these are so desirable. Flatware made in Korea or Japan usually vintage, and are good quality utensils. Stay away from items made in China and Taiwan.
VINTAGE SWAG LAMPS
Paid: $5.99 Sold: 49.99
If you come across swag lamps I recommend picking them up if the price is right. I knew this one would sell because it looked like iridescent carnival glass. The big thing you need to know about swag lamps is whether or not the coloring is sprayed on, or if its the actual glass. Sprayed on coloring will flake off and is not worth as much. Ambers are the bottom of the bin while the greens, blues, and reds are the sure sales.
Things are finally starting to pick up again so I will have plenty of more sales to talk about soon, bookmark my blog if you have not already, and see what I post about next time.
If you find this article helpful please give me a click on the above banner so I can get paid. Thanks :)
Olivia11dancer purchased the item for 25 cents at a small rummage sale in Burnsville Minnesota. At the time she didn't even know what it was, but she knew she liked it. This item spent the next 15 years without being identified until a couple of weeks ago, when Olivia11dancer decided to do some research on the statue.
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| More types of frankart |
The buyer of this stand will be restoring it to its original condition. Hopefully they will send us some pictures when they are finished with it.
This sale gives me inspiration to get into the books, and do more research. I think if I had found this statue for 25 cents I would have snatched it up too.
Speaking of research I think its time to go over some more sales.
UTICA STAINLESS STEEL FLATWARE MADE IN THE USA
Paid: $2.99 Sold: 99.99
Why it sold: Stainless steel flatware that is made in the USA is very desirable. If you can find large lots, they sell very nicely. I highly recommend you check out the flatware bins when you are at the thrift stores. Pick up different forks, and feel the weights and the quality, then you will begin to understand why these are so desirable. Flatware made in Korea or Japan usually vintage, and are good quality utensils. Stay away from items made in China and Taiwan.
VINTAGE SWAG LAMPS
Paid: $5.99 Sold: 49.99
If you come across swag lamps I recommend picking them up if the price is right. I knew this one would sell because it looked like iridescent carnival glass. The big thing you need to know about swag lamps is whether or not the coloring is sprayed on, or if its the actual glass. Sprayed on coloring will flake off and is not worth as much. Ambers are the bottom of the bin while the greens, blues, and reds are the sure sales.
Things are finally starting to pick up again so I will have plenty of more sales to talk about soon, bookmark my blog if you have not already, and see what I post about next time.
If you find this article helpful please give me a click on the above banner so I can get paid. Thanks :)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
My first garage sale hunt of the year along with finds & sales
This weekend was a great weekend for my first hunt. It was nice and sunny, which if you are familiar with the pacific northwest then you know that's a pretty big deal. I ended up spending a total of $100.00 when it was all said and done. I also learned about a prime spot for metal detecting so I am going to have to go check that out eventually. Ok lets get on with the finds shall we?
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| Vintage industrial style adjustable lamp |
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| Danish Modern table lamp. I wish I could have found the other one, but it was MIA. I already have an offer for $25.00 for this lamp but I literally just listed it so I didn't take the offer. |
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| Vintage TOKI mid century modern goose neck desk lamp. |
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| This is an interesting find. Its an art deco goose neck desk lamp. I am guessing its probably from the 40s. The base is cast iron so its fairly heavy. |
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| Vintage cosmo clock made in the USA. Faux wood face with arcade like numbers, I am going to offer this one as a vintage gamer clock and use woody ( like the Atari) as one of the keywords. Should be an easy sale. |
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| Hollywood regency chic angel goddess wall plaques. I just sold this exact pair for $38.00 so it was nice to find them again. |
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| Homoco four seasons wall plaques. There is a specific term for this style, I just can't remember what it is off the top of my head. If anyone knows please leave a comment. |
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| I have to do some more research on this clock but its Hollywood Regency and its called the Homestead clock made by Talley Industries. ( Made in the USA) |
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| Vintage desk lamp with articulating arm. I just sold the yellow version of this lamp for $39.99 so this one should be an easy sale. |
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| This light fixture is probably from the 40s judging by the wiring. I am listing it as Gothic Victorian. |
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| This is another interesting light fixture. This one is probably from the early 1900s judging the wiring and porcelain sockets. Its all brass with some sort of lacquer coating which is scrapped up. This would be great as is or someone could paint it. |
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| 1ft retro funky mod Lucite candlesticks. I have never seen any like these and there are none listed on eBay so we shall see if they sell. |
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| Hollywood regency faux bamboo octagonal cocktail tray. These seem to be fast movers, I have sold every one I have ever found fairly quickly. |
Well that's all for the finds as of right now. I have a bunch more, but I have been listing all day, and I have not had a chance to take pictures of the other stuff.
Now I am going to go over some of my recent sales. (Not that there are very many, things have been SLOW lately)
Dorothy Thorpe pitcher and bowl
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130444983567#ht_500wt_922
Paid: $3.00 Sold: $60.00 I had these in a lot with a champagne glass and another pitcher as you will see in the link. I ended up breaking up the lot and selling the 2. Its probably better this way. They had been posted for awhile. If you find Dorothy Thorpe items cheap, do not hesitate to pick them up.
Navy pea coat
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130478654323#ht_1402wt_907
Its spring, and I am still selling winter coats. If you find a pea coat for under $20.00 I would recommend buying them as long as they are in good shape.
Paid:12.99 Sold: 79.99
Corning percolator cord
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130483770627#ht_1402wt_907
Vintage corning percolator cords are not worth a ton but they do sell. You can't sell certain corning percolator bodies on eBay due to recalls so people piece together parts when they have the body.
Paid:$0.50 Sold: $15.00
Ship wall hangings
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130504902469#ht_1402wt_907
Vintage nautical items sell pretty well so if you find anything old and nautical, its worth a look up.
Paid:$4.00 Sold: 50.00
Vintage adjustable lighting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130504896458#ht_1402wt_907
These lamps are probably from the 70s judging from the cords. The color is what told me I would be able to sell these, it just stuck out at me.
Paid: $2.00 Sold: $45.00
Pendleton Tweed jacket
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130509513973#ht_485wt_1033
I say this all the time, but once again. Its vintage and its Pendleton... nuff said
Paid: $4.99 Sold: 59.99
Graphic novel - Manga Naruto 1-27
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130493995677#ht_1402wt_907
Manga is expensive, but it sells. If you find a large lot I would pay up to $1.00 per book.
Paid: $27.00 Sold: $100.00
Thats all for now, if you find this article helpful please give me a click on the above banner so I can get paid. Thanks! :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
How do you manage your ebay income?
When I first started selling on ebay, I was just trying to make a little bit of extra cash to help pay for my wedding. Even before I sold my first item on ebay I knew that I wanted to keep the ebay money separated from our other finances.
I started by requesting a PayPal debit card. Once I received the card I started using it to make all of my ebay purchases. After about a month or so my PayPal card started acting up, and would only work at about half of the places I went to.
Mrs. Famous Turtle then had the very brilliant idea to use one of our rewards credit cards strictly for Famous Turtle Treasure purchases. Now whenever I make a purchase I receive reward points through my bank which in turn helps pay for airplane tickets home to see the family. (Just remember to pay off your credit card off on time so you don't get any late fees!)
Having a closed loop system where my sales and purchases come out of the same "pot" helps me keep my the ebay purchases away from our personal bank account. Of course as Mrs. Famous Turtle would tell you, I am not always the best at taking my ebay card with me, but I try to remember it.
I started out using about $500.00 to purchase items to sell on ebay. In the 10 months that I have been doing this I have never had to put any extra cash into my paypal account, and my current overall sales is sitting at $20,000.
Not too shabby for part time work.
I started by requesting a PayPal debit card. Once I received the card I started using it to make all of my ebay purchases. After about a month or so my PayPal card started acting up, and would only work at about half of the places I went to.
Mrs. Famous Turtle then had the very brilliant idea to use one of our rewards credit cards strictly for Famous Turtle Treasure purchases. Now whenever I make a purchase I receive reward points through my bank which in turn helps pay for airplane tickets home to see the family. (Just remember to pay off your credit card off on time so you don't get any late fees!)
Having a closed loop system where my sales and purchases come out of the same "pot" helps me keep my the ebay purchases away from our personal bank account. Of course as Mrs. Famous Turtle would tell you, I am not always the best at taking my ebay card with me, but I try to remember it.
I started out using about $500.00 to purchase items to sell on ebay. In the 10 months that I have been doing this I have never had to put any extra cash into my paypal account, and my current overall sales is sitting at $20,000.
Not too shabby for part time work.
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